The Seventh Seeker
by TheSmallestBean
Summary: While Sora is off on his own journey, Kairi is prepared to become a skilled Keyblade Wielder. She is commissioned to train with King Mickey and Riku, facing new opponents and visiting familiar worlds.
1. I - Destiny's Embrace

This will be my first published fanfiction. I hope you all enjoy it. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

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 **The Seventh Seeker**

 **Chapter I - Destiny's Embrace**

 _I'll be back before you know it._

"I am glad that you are here."

Master Yen Sid's stone-cold voice left an eerie silence in the corridor. Up until now, no one had an idea where Riku had gone but the Master and Riku himself. Not even King Mickey had been notified of Yen Sid's commission. But Riku's presence was not what had shocked Donald and Goofy upon his return (Although, they were admittedly quite surprised at how quickly he had returned). All eyes were upon the guest of whom Riku had brought back with him from his trip back to his home. the Destiny Islands.

There in the doorway stood Kairi.

Mickey looked to Yen Sid, and then to Kairi again. He chuckled. "Well, Riku," he crossed his arms. "It looks to me like Master Yen Sid has the right idea - If we're going to combat against Xehanort and the forces of Darkness, we're going to need all the help we can get. And I think Kairi's got just what we need!"

Just then, Donald and Goofy burst though the door. "Kairi?!" They both shouted in unison. Mickey looked over to the two of them. Donald was a bit exhausted from running frantically up the spiral staircase into Yen Sid's chamber. He had left a mild trail of feathers in his wake, but Goofy appeared to be just fine.

"Gee, Don'," Goofy murmured to his panting friend. "I know it's tough takin' the stairs, but you just gotta take bigger strides..." The angry duck glared daggers towards Goofy, but said nothing.

Kairi felt herself conceal a slight laugh in her throat.

"Hey, fellas." Mickey greeted his two friends. "Surprised to see her, huh?"

"Uh huh," Goofy nodded. Then, he rubbed his head. "It sure is good to see you, Kairi, but, uh, what exactly did Riku bring you here for?"

The young girl said nothing. A swirling torrent of nervousness and excitement filled her, the sensation wouldn't allow her to process her thoughts, her words. It was something she had only felt as a child, on the beach with Sora. But it was more than that, it was putting on the weight of a responsibility she couldn't begin to imagine.

It was something she could barely bring herself to believe.

"Gosh, you two," the King shook his head. "I knew you'd be a little shocked, but I didn't think you'd be this surprised to have Kairi help us out. She is a Princess of Heart, after all. I'm sure she'll do great!"

These words comforted her slightly. She spoke carefully, "Thank you, King Mickey." She smiled, though it felt difficult to do so. "It's good to see you again."

Yen Sid nodded steadily, running his fingers through his beard. "Riku," He began. "I would like to first thank you for bringing Kairi here." He then turned to the girl in question. "Kairi, I have come to learn that you are gifted with the natural ability to weild a Keyblade. Is this true?"

Kairi remembered her experiences in The World that Never Was. When she could fight, when she could defend her friends from the Heartless and the Organization. The immense power, the gift that Light had given her. Her reunion with her friends. "Yes."

Yen Sid nodded again. "I see. This is very good... I also understand that since the very beginning of all this, you have experienced a great deal. Not only alongside Sora and Riku, but you yourself have proved to be quite extraordinary."

This was a humbling statement. Kairi was surprised to not feel herself blush. Perhaps it was because she had long since made peace with this face. She did not know how to respond. She merely nodded.

"You are a Princess of Heart," He continued. "The power of Kingdom Hearts flows through you like an eir to a vessel. And this means you have a great potential to aid us in the battle against Xehanort." As he said all of this, Yen Sid never lost eye contact. His concentration was chilling. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"You want me to help you fight them." She quickly blurted out. "My ... abilities, they can help beat the Darkness. So you want me to help. Is that it?"

Although astounded by her willingness, Yen Sid's expression did not change. "That is correct." He then looked to Riku. "You were the one who gave her that Keyblade, yes?"

Riku humbly nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I remember that," Donald had finally managed to catch his breath and stood upright. "Back in the World that Never Was, Kairi was going to help us fight the Organization. But then she got separated, so King Mickey stayed and helped her out."

The memories came flooding back again, like a violent wave or water crashing into her subconscious, She could again see it, feel it. She brutal clashing of light against the demented frame of the disfigured Nobodies. The nightmarish incarnations leaping at her. But she did not fear them. She remembered the King at her side, and the Key in her hand, a tool that wrought not destruction, but swift and pure erasure of negativity. _The Nobodies are illusions_ , she remembered the King had told her. _Don't be afraid!_ She felt great power, but also nobility. Responsibility.

She nodded. "That's right. We stayed behind and fought off any Nobodies that tried to get though." She looked over to the King, who appeared to be reminiscing that moment.

"Uh-huh," Mickey chimed in. "She was doing real well, too."

Yen Sid stroked his beard again. "Kairi," He called to her from his seat. "If you will, please show us your Keyblade."

Kairi gave a nod. She had been trying to summon her Keyblade for some time since she was able to utilize it, and had been struggling. She brushed some hair from her face. "I'll do my best."

Riku and Mickey backed away, granting her some space. Kairi closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Extending her arm, she felt the faint warmth of light surround her palm. The light grew brighter, slowly. It flickered.

Donald and Goofy watched in suspense. Silently, they observed the display. Yen Sid sharply watched on, a fiery look of determination and hope in his eyes that could only be found in old wise men like him.

No, no, She thought. Please, don't fail on me, not now. She thought of what it was like to wield it the first time, to be able to assist and defend her friends. To be able to fight. To be with Sora.

The brightness intensified, and she closed her eyes tighter, anticipating a hotter warmth to consume her hand. Instead, the warmth was calming, a smooth wisp of gentle force. She opened her eyes to a blinding flash. She felt the familiar grip of it in her hand. It felt good. The weight of the thing nearly knocked her off her feet. The light settled, and she observed her Keyblade. It was well, balanced, and decorated with beautiful flowers. Looking at the Key gave her a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. Sunsets, ocean tides, the purity of a simpler world.

Riku placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good job," He said. "You really got a hold of it." She looked to him. Riku was sporting a soft, encouraging smile. This surprised her a little, he never quite smiled much... Not as much as Sora, anyhow.

"Very impressive," Yen Sid was standing now, proudly, which was a rare sight. "Kairi, surely you know that the fate of all worlds is at stake?"

She was very aware of this. She had known this since the very beginning, when she was taken to Hollow Bastion. "Yes. Master."

The old wizard walked over to her. "And you are prepared to face whatever may transpire, regardless of the danger?"

Shortly, she hesitated. Kairi quietly reached into her pocket, pulling out a star-shaped charm given to her by Sora. It was loosely woven together from Thallsa Shells.

 _I'll be back before you know it. I promise._

Kairi suddenly noticed that looking at the thing stimulated her. she felt her heartbeat quicken. Her grip around the thing softened, as if it were a fragile artifact. She placed it back into her pocket. Exhaling deeply, Kairi looked up to the tall, elderly man standing before her.

"Absolutely."


	2. II - Beck and Call

**Oh, you're still here? Yay! I've got big plans for the next few chapters, and I hope you all enjoy/continue reading it.**

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The Seventh Seeker

Chapter II - Beck and Call

 _"Why do you have to go now?" She rested her head on his chest. "Stay with me," she whispered to him weakly._

 _He gently lifted her head back up with his curled index finger, staring deeply into her eyes. "I... can't." He broke eye contact as he said this, ashamed as the words left his lips. He winced._

 _The latter's attitude shifted to an impatient one. "Fine, then." She huffed, "I'll go with y-"_

 _"No way! I'm not letting you put yourself in danger like that." His hands held hers, squeezing them tightly, securely. Without words, he made his vow of protection. He stared into her eyes again, the deep twin oceans. He brushed a few strands of hair our of her face, carefully and slowly. "I won't have you risking your life out there. Not for me, not for anyone."_

 _She tugged her hands out of his grip, slowly. He let go immediately, as if for fear he had somehow harmed her. Her expression grew into something resembling a restrained scowl. "I'm not inept, Sora," She spat at him. "I can take care of myself. Why don't you believe in me?"_

She was now sitting outside, on the steps of the Mysterious Tower. She studied the Keyblade vividly. More faded memories came back into fruition. The coalescent daytime, the relaxing sunsets. Lazy afternoons, heavenly-lit nights, the bliss of it all. She had all of that back on the island. But it was bland as all hell if she had no one to share it with. Sure, there was Selphie, but she didn't understand.

"Hey."

Kairi jerked her head around in the direction of the voice. "Oh. ...Riku."

Riku shook his head. "Well, jeez. Sorry to disappoint you." He chuckled to himself quietly.

It was Kairi's turn to "Pfft." She crossed her arms. "Well, I didn't mean to make you feel like that." Some of her hair fell in front of her eyes as she stood. All that did was trigger more memories, how he'd always brush it out of her face for her. "Why do you assume I was thinking about Sora, anyway?"

"Oh, I didn't." Riku smirked. "You just told me."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Oh, shut up."

Riku rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I know you miss him. We all do. But whatever he's doing, it's gotta be important." He walked towards Kairi. with his own KEyblade in hand, the Way to the Dawn. So, we'll just have to trust him."

For a long time, Kairi stared at him. She turned away again, looking to the Destiny's Embrace. No memories came flooding forth again, this time. Heaving out a bitter sigh, she let her racing mind finally go blank. "This isn't just about missing him."

Riku didn't seem too surprised. "Then what is it?"

"It's more about... Well, me."

This did manage to catch Riku off guard. "I... Don't understand."

"You see, before Sora went off... He stopped by the island."

 _"How long will you be gone?" They sat on the bent palm tree, comfortably lying against one another._

 _"I... don't know..." His hand reached for hers, and she took it._

"He had to go, I understood that. I wasn't mad about that, but..." Kairi clenched her fists. "Riku, he wouldn't let me go with him." Her temper rose in her throat, and the words came spilling out like an angry waterfall. "He didn't let me help him, he thought I couldn't. And I know he was worried about me, but I wanted to prove to him that he didn't h _ave_ to worry. I want to prove to him that I'm strong. That he doesn't have to constantly keep me safe." Turning the Keyblade in her hand, she pointed it to the ground beneath her. "I want Sora to know that I can take care of myself. And as long as I'm a Keyblade wielder, I can show him."

""I get it. If you ask me, now's the best time for something like this to happen." Sora and Kairi had always been close. It wasn't hard to imagine his concern for her, especially at a time like this. Sora knew as well as Riku did that Kairi was perfectly capable of defending herself, but Sora was just too worried to let go. "If Sora were to know about you preparing to take on Heartless like this, he'd be worried sick." Riku was almost amused by this. "He'll be pleasantly surprised when he comes back and sees you a full-on master."

Kairi scoffed, in spite of herself. "Well, that or terrified."

"You're ready for some real work, huh?"

To Kairi, it was more than that. Since the start of this journey, since the storm on the Island, to Xehanort's master plan she was nothing but a pawn. She was ready to change that. "Yes." She answered. "And I'm ready for anything. By the way - What exactly are you going to have me do?"

Riku shrugged. "Hm, It's not my call. Master Yen Sid is the one with the plan. My best guess would be the Mark of Mastery."

Kairi's eyes lit up hopefully. "You mean that test you and Sora took?"

"The one we slaved away on while you scarved down fruit with Tidus and Wakka." Teasing Kairi over this was too easy, Riku couldn't help himself.

Kairi laughed politely, but punched Riku on the shoulder. "Would you just stop?"

"Hey, ouch!" Riku chuckled. "If you can hit that hard, I think Sora's the one who's gonna need help."

Just then Donald and Goofy arrived from the first chamber. "Hey, Kairi! Riku!" Goofy called, halfway down the stairs, then tripping and tumbling down the last few steps. Donald was close behind, and helped him back up.

"Why do you always do that?" Donald squawked, lifting up his friend, who managed to get to his feet surprisingly fast. "You need to take better care of yourself!"

Kairi rushed to Goofy's side, who was still a bit dizzy. "Goofy, are you hurt?"

The clumsy knight rubbed his forehead. When the dizziness wore off, he only guffawed. "Gwarsh, Kairi, I get knocked over all the time."

"Is Yen Sid ready for us to some back up?"

Donald nodded. "Uh huh. He just needed to talk to the King in private. But I'm starting to get tired of walking up these stairs... Huh!?" Donald's eyes nearly popped out.

Kairi was already halfway up the first set, the Destiny's Embrace tightly in hand. She stopped, seeing the three of them remaining at the bottom chamber. "Coming?"

As Riku and Goofy started after her, Donald mumbled some incomprehensible babble and stomped up after them.

"Welcome back, you two," The King addressed his friends once again. Kairi and Riku nodded civilly. The tall wizard parallel to Mickey looked to them, granting a small bow of the head. He said nothing, but let the King speak for him. "Master Yen Sid's made his decision for you, Kairi. Are ya ready?"

She replied with haste, "Yes." Now was her time. No longer would she be a pawn, but a player in a game that could decide the fate of all worlds, and she was entirely willing to partake in it.

Yen Sid began to rub his fingers though his long beard once again, and then stopped, making another lock-on with Kairi and Riku. He began to speak:

"I understand that what I have decided may seem unconventional to some, but we are not able to waste much time. As Xehanort has allied the Thirteen Vessels of Darkness, we have only now found our Seventh Seeker of Light."

A chill traveled up Kairi's spine at the mention of Xehanort. She was fully aware of who he was and what he's done - to her and her friends, anyway. He was a monster, no better than those infectious Heartless or the demonic Nobodies.

"Furthermore," Yen Sid continued, "I have the utmost faith in Kairi and her abilities, and so I personally believe that my decision is rational in every sense of the word."

"What ever it is you intend for me to accomplish, Master," Kairi inquired, "I assure you I'm prepared for it."

The wizard was again satisfied by Kairi's eagerness to assist their cause, but his face remained stone solid. "Kairi," Yen Sid's cold voice softened with the weight of his words, "You will be taking the Mark of Mastery."


	3. III - Euphoria

**Just a forewarning- This chapter's sort of long. I didn't mean for it to be that way, that's just how it happened... Sorry! Enjoy! _-TheSmallestBean_**

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The Seventh Seeker

Chapter III - Euphoria

Kairi was highly esteemed, and even released a small gasp upon hearing this. She hadn't imagined that she would have the chance to partake in something of such high principle. But above all else, she was honored to finally be able to do... something. Even if she didn't know all she had to, she would learn. She would.

"Your Mark of Mastery will be based on your own journey," Yen Sid further explained. "You may travel to whatever worlds interest you. I will entrust upon you, Kairi, to find your own Mark, because I know that you have potential beyond your years not yet tapped into. I trust that you will take this opportunity to your advantage."

"T-Thank you, Master!" Kairi stammered excitedly, trying her best to calm herself and not seem out-of-line in front of a figure of such prestige. She could barely contain her excitement. Extremley humbled, she bowed. But she could not help herself from grinning like a child on Christmas morning. "I promise you won't regret this!"

Yen Sid nodded, . "I am glad that you are thrilled to begin this journey, Kairi, but rest assured, I shall not have you go alone." He made a gesture to Mickey, and spoke towards him. Before Yen Sid even spoke, the King looked to him. "My apprentice, as I am no longer a Keyblade master myself, I must ask you to aid Kairi in her journey."

Mickey nodded firmly, and faced the budding Keyblade master. "Well, Kairi, it looks like I'm gonna be training you a bit, huh?"

Kairi beamed. "I can't wait."

"Wait, Master Yen Sid," Riku called out. "If... If it's all right with you, I'd like to stay by Kairi's side."

"What?" Kairi's attention was drawn to Riku immediately, like thread lead by a sewing needle. She was at a loss for words. "Riku, are you sure...?"

Yen Sid spent a moment considering Riku's request, but did not answer.

"I know it's not my place, Master, but..." Mickey began to speak, all the while looking shyly to the ground. Mickey may have been a powerful wielder, but his reverence to his Master had always remained. "Riku's got a lot of valuable experience facing the Organization. I think that Riku and i should both go help Kairi out, for the sake of her training, that is."

It was Riku's turn to attempt to strengthen the foundation of his request. "Kairi is my close friend, after all. I won't be accomplishing much if I just remain here."

Kairi was bewildered. Riku had gone out of his way to bring her here, to help her prepare for something he thought- no, he knew that she could handle alone. And now he wanted to tag along? _What was the point of bringing me here if you're just going to baby me?_ She thought.

Yen Sid continued to ponder, looking at no one in particular. Then, he placed his hands on the table in front of him. "What you have requested his highly irregular."

Riku winced a bit at the Master's apparent disdain. For a split second, Kairi almost felt what resembled relief.

But Yen Sid had not finished, and smiled: "However, some guidelines are meant to be challenged every so often, especially in the present circumstance. I shall grant you this."

Riku's expression softened once more and he smiled. Kairi smiled too, although a bit faked. She hoped Riku didn't notice it. Come on, she thought. _Get it together, having Riku tag along won't be too bad. Whatever it is I'm going to face, she tried to assume, it should be easier now that I have my friends by my side, right? Aided by both Riku and the King, I'm in good hands... Probably._

But all she could feel was the rejection of herself, the kind she felt when Sora worried for her.

 _It's too dangerous. You can't just go off on your own like that. You need your friends to help you._

Kairi shook her head, like her problem was a physical ailment. _Just... Keep your head up,_ she thought. _Your friends care about you. That's what matters._

The wizard lifted his hand, beckoning their attention. "Before you all leave, I should like you to visit the chamber opposite to my own. There, you will find three faeries whose services to you I believe will serve most useful."

"Faeries?" Kairi echoed.

Goofy and Donald's faces lit up. They were familiar with the faeries in question from their adventures with Sora. Donald asked, "Oh, you mean the ones who gave Sora his new clothes?"

"That's right, Donald," Mickey bobbed his head affirmatively. "And now, I think Kairi's gonna get some new garments of her own!"

"New clothes?" Kairi looked at her own pink skirt-dress, laden with several zippers. A bit defensively, she asked, "What's wrong with the clothes I'm wearing now? They fit just fine."

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong with the one's you're wearing now," Mickey corrected. "You'll see, it'll make more sense when we go on in."

Knowing to trust the King's judgement, she decided not to question it despite knowing little to nothing about what she was geting herself into. Shrugging, Kairi headed towards the wooden door. "Well, whatever gets us closer to travelling different worlds, the better."

Kairi entered the room with Riku and Mickey behind her. The room itself, was not very large. It was just as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of Yen Sid's domain, but there was not much to see. There was a small table, some chairs, a window with dull curtains which boasted a color of aged teal, and a wardrobe.

"Uhm," Her eyes glazed across the room, and it appeared to be completely empty, save for the astounding architecture. "Is... Anyone in here?" No voices called back. Was this some kind of joke?

Kairi took the time to observe the room a bit more, and then she saw them: Three small, well-dressed faeries sporting colors of red, green and blue respectively. They were quite small, in fact, Kairi could fit one of them in her hand rather easily. They must have heard her open the door, because they all looked to her. "Well, well, dears!" The red faerie spoke in a tone laced with whimsy. "It appears as though we have visitors!"

The green sprite formally patted her dress free of any dirt, and tapped the blue one so as to alert her. "Look alive, Fauna. We have a guest."

Mickey had reached Kairi's side by this point. By this time, the faeries had all seen him, gasping in unison. "King Mickey!" The red-clothes fairy waked her hand, revealing a thin, needle-like wand. With a cloud of sparkling magic, she grew to normal size, and the two other faeries proceeded to do this as well. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Modest, mickey shook his head. "Aw, I'm not the special guest. The one you're looking for is right here," and Kairi stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm-"

"Kairi!" The faeries all shouted in unison, darting towards her. they started to move around her, examining her clothes. Kairi felt an odd rush of both humility and inelegance come over her as the faeries proceeded to examine her with wide eyes and chattering mouths. It was like having her mother talk about her in public, only there were three of them flying around her with magic wands.

The red faerie was the first to speak up: "My goodness, are you really Sora's little friend?"

Next, the green one: "Well, she's not so little any more," Kairi felt her cheek being pinched by a motherly hand. "Look how much she's grown!"

The blue one was next to add to the ensemble of movement and chatter: "You must have come here for some new clothes, is that right? Well you've come to the right place!"

As the commotion continued, Riku scratched behind his head awkwardly. "Oh, boy..."

"I see you've met the Good Faeries," Mickey interceded the minor ruckus, to Kairi's relief. "Kairi, these three are Flora, Fauna and Merryweather." In order, each of the faeries bowed.

"It's nice to meet you all," Kairi greeted them, thankful they'd stopped chatting about. "I was told to come here for some new clothes."

"Oh, I can't remember the last time we made clothes for a girl," Fauna reminisced. "It brings back memories of when we worked on that lovely dress for Aurora."

"Well," Flora said, "Making Kairi some new clothes shouldn't be too different. She's a Princess of Heart like our dearest Aurora, remember?"

"That's right," Riku affirmed. "But she's also a Keyblade wielder. She'll be taking her Mark of Mastery exam."

All three faeries gasped once again. "Mark of Mastery?" Merryweather piped up. "Well, that's wonderful! Fancy that, our Princess Aurora going off having her Happily Ever After, and Kairi's taking matters into her own hands. I'm sure Sora would be very happy with you!"

"I'm sure he will be." Kairi sighed. She wondered what Sora would say right now. Probably something like...

 _"Are you sure you want to do this?"_

 _"This is way too dangerous, Kairi."_

 _"Please, please, please, please be careful!"_

That last thought made her giggle. That was just like him. He was such a dork. _But he's my dork._

"Well, then, let's get started." Merryweather spoke up. "I'll design the base of it," And she waved her want gingerly, releasing a tiny spark of blue magic, turning Kairi's outfit the same shade of blue.

Kairi didn't exactly feel any different. "Oh, it's..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, Fauna pouted and waved her finger begrudgingly. "No, that'll never do," Another wave of the wand released a green spark, now making the outfit completely green.

Before Kairi could even react, Flora cut in: "Now, that's all wrong. Here, I'll fix it up." Another bright flash, and Kairi's clothes reverted to a shade of red.

"Oh, she won't like that," Merryweather waved her wand again, and Kairi was back to blue (but her face was going pink with embarassment).

"I'm beginning to detect a pattern," Riku muttered under his breath. The King shushed him.

"Hold on, that's not right. Make it blue!"

"No no, green!"

The three of them consistently zapped Kairi's clothes with magic, her clothes flashing from blue to green to red and so on and over and over. This continued for about four more minutes, and Kairi was getting a bit bored. The prospect of magically having her clothes change color had never seemed so mundane. She desperately looked over to Riku, who looked a little impatient himself. She threw a glance that meant to say, _Please save me from this disaster..._

Noticing Kairi's reddened face and hopeless expression, Riku cleared his throat rather loudly, and the three faeries realized that they'd been wasting time. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather finally settled down and stopped squabbling.

"Right," Flora started. "This time, let's do it together, and no more altercations." Kairi braced herself for one more sparking impact of magic, getting a bit tired of the whole thing. She started to say, "Wait, I think I-"

She closed her eyes to a final flash of light, and the dust settled. Kairi opened her eyes cautiously, and what she was wearing amazed her. Her clothes fit her perfectly, but beyond that, she felt incredible power upon donning them. Her upper portion of her skirt-dress was now a radiant red, and the bottom half orange with black lining. Two long, elegant strips of cloth draped from her back, each corner decorated with an orange fleur-de-lis. Her arms gained bell-sleeves and fingerless gloves, rimmed with sparkling orange and bright red. Her shoes were generally the same, save for the laces being a radiant, golden orange and the once-purple portion becoming red as well. While wearing this, Kairi felt a proud, fiery energy surge through her.

Kairi was amazed. "This... It's amazing!" She observed every last detail of her newfound garments, completely wonderstruck. "I've never seen- or felt- anything like this before!"

Fauna chortled, humored by Kairi's response. "We're very glad you like the new clothes, dear, but that's not all!"

"Go on, Summon your Keyblade, Kairi." Merryweather encouraged. "Go on, see what happens."

Kairi fulfilled the request, and summoned the Destiny's Embrace. Then, in her other hand, another flash of light emerged, and a second Keyblade appeared in her hand. It was majestic, and pure. The hand guard resembled the wings of an angel.

Mickey jumped in surprise. "The Oathkeeper!"

The Faeries nodded. "If you're going to be facing the Heartless and the Organization," Flora informed her, "You're going to have to know how to fight in more ways than just one."

Kairi's eyes widened when she heard this. "Well, what are we waiting for? I'm not gonna beat the forces of Darkness by standing around. Let's go!" Kairi ran back into Yen Sid's chamber, still wielding both Keys. Suddenly, she stopped, and ran back to the faeries. "Oh, and thank you for everything!" And with that, she was running again.

Riku followed her, albeit moving at his own pace. "Well," He looked to the King, "Someone's excited for some action."

Mickey followed. "I'd say she's earned it."


	4. IV - Chaos in Radiant Garden

The Seventh Seeker

IV - Chaos in Radiant Garden

Kairi stepped back into Yen Sid's chamber. Donald and Goofy, who had been waiting outside the Faerie's room, looked surprised at Kairi's new outfit."Wow," Goofy exclaimed. "You're wielding two now!"

"Ha, yeah," She nodded, and looked to Yen Sid, who was now standing next to the window, peering thoughtfully through it. He heard her enter the room, and turned to her. Kairi was surprised to see him smiling. She hadn't imagined that a man who seemed so stern and confidential could ... well, emote. But his smile was an encouraging, confident one. "I see you've recieved your new Valor Form."

"Valor Form?" Kairi said, looking at her sleeves again. "You mean ... this is just a temporary form?"

"Yes," The old master nodded. "When using it, you will wield two Keys at once: The Destiny's Embrace, and the Oathkeeper. The power of two Keyblades at once is an incredible force of light, and cannot merely be contained at any given time. You will have to use the Valor Form as a last resort."

Kairi considered this, nodding. "So... In short," She said, "I won't be able to wield two Keyblades all the time?"

"Yes."

"Aw," Kairi kicked the ground tenderly. "Bummer." Just then, the Oathkeeper disappeared, and her clothes reverted to normal.

"Kairi," Riku called to her, coming into the room aside the King. "Are we ready to embark?"

"That depends," Kairi said. "Master Yen Sid, is there anything else I should know?"

The Old Master shook his head. "There is nothing else I can tell you, other than to be careful and be courageous."

"Wait!" Donald cried out. "Your majesty, what about the castle?"

Mickey only smiled. "Gosh, you guys, I'm sure you two can protect the castle just fine."

Goofy and Donald looked to one another, and then stood erect like soldiers. "Yes, your majesty!" Donald mumbled to Goofy out of the corner of his mouth: "Do you really think we can defend the castle all by ourselves?" Goofy thought for a moment, and said, "Probably... I think."

"Now then," Yen Sid spoke, "Kairi, it is time for you to extinguish the Heartless from whatever world you encounter, and once again lock them out from their Hearts. But in order for you to do so, you must first have a method of travel."

Kairi's expression went blank. "Oh. Right... I didn't even think about that." She heard Riku laugh quietly behind her.

"Not to worry," Yen Sid waved an assuring hand. "The King and I have prepared a transport for you." Just then, a soft rumbling was heard from outside. Riku and Kairi looked out of the window to see a polygonal red-and-yellow starship floating outside the window.

"The Gummi ship!" Goofy exclaimed. "That'll get you from world to world as quick as anything."

"Yup," The King said, "I happen to be the one who first created the Gummi Ship, this one's one of the earliest models."

With a final wave of his hand, Yen Sid bade Kairi, Riku and Mickey farewell. "Good luck, Kairi. May your new path be one that unfolds your latent power."

As they boarded the Gummi Ship, Kairi looked out the window to see Donald and Goofy waving to her. She waved back, unsure if they could see her. The ship's thrusters roared to life, and they shot off like a bullet,

Riku looked out of his own side of the ship's dome ceiling, lost in thought. Kairi turned and noticed him, unsure of what he could be thinking about. She considered nudging his shoulder, but just before she mustered the will to do so, he sprang to life again and looked at her.

"Everything... Okay?" She narrowed her eyes.

Riku nodded, but said nothing. Something was on his mind, there was no denying that. I'll figure that out later, Kairi decided. Now was the time to focus on the objective at hand, earning her Mark of Mastery.

"All right, Kairi." Mickey was the one at the throttle of the aircraft, piloting the ship. "Anywhere in particular you think we should head first?"

Kairi thought for a moment. There was an endless array of worlds at her disposal to choose from. Virtually, she could go anywhere she imagined... But her main focus was the task at hand, the eradication of the Heartless. "Well, ...What does the ship's World Radar say?"

King Mickey pressed a few buttons and watched images on the control screen unfold. "Well, since the Worlds are connected again, there's Heartless all over the place."

"Then let's go wherever the Heartless are most abundant," Riku suggested.

Kairi nodded. "Right. We can't let the bigger numbers spread if they have the chance. What world has the most Heartless?"

Another few buttons were pressed. The mechanics of the Gummi ship were all so mesmerizing and odd, but King Mickey seemed to know exactly how to operate it. Fitting, as he did invent them. Suddenly, the King's eyes widened. "Radiant Garden!" Kairi and Riku peeped over the King's large ears to see that the once-serene, majestic castle that had practically been drowning in a horrid, dark aura.

Kairi began to feel waves of tiredness flow over her again. Something about this world was leeching her mind. "I... I know this place," She said. "This place used to be Hollow Bastion. Sora went there to fight against the Heartless."

Riku nodded. "That's right. But now this place looks more disturbed than ever."

"What's going on with it?"

Mickey came closer to the screen, narrowing his eyes. "The Heartless are drowning out the world's light!" He clenched his fists. "At this rate, the world's Heart will be engulfed. We've gotta move!"

Kairi slammed her own fist on the control panel. "We have to get there as soon as possible!"

A bit thrown off balance, Mickey nodded quickly. Riku tugged at Kairi's arm, adding, "But, let's not bang too hard on the machinery. Okay?"

"Oh. Right. ... Sorry."

Mickey pulled the thruster, and they shot off once again to the suffering world.


	5. V - I am the Terror

HELLO! Sorry for my absence. I have a lot of IRL stuff that needs to be tended to. But I'm not giving up on FanFiction, I promise!

I would like to state that I am going to continue writing this Fic as well as my others. I have another KH Fic in the works currently, which I will be posting alongside this one. However, This one is my top priority for continuing and publishing. I promise the next few chapters won't take as long to publish. Enjoy! [Please review..]

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The Seventh Seeker

V - I am the Terror...

"That's a dead end."

"Uh... I-I knew that."

"Sure you did."

Kairi had been walking in circles around the landing zone of Radiant Garden. She clearly had no idea of where she was going, but Mickey and Riku were trailing behind her nonetheless. No Heartless or Nobodies had surfaced, either, which made things even more complicated. Nothing to follow, no leads, and no idea of where to go. Kairi was getting a bit fed up by her inability to find anyplace relevant. _This is one hell of a way to start off ..._

Kairi hesitated; She had encountered a fork in the stone path. She looked down each end, not sure where either end led to. The path that sifted to the West led to what appeared to be some kind of vast, purple canyon laden with some red-blotched skies. The East path led to what appeared to be a marketplace, but it was too far-off. Looking over shoulder, she noticed Riku and Mickey standing side-by-side, avoiding eye contact.

"What?" She narrowed her eyebrows, a bitter glare surfacing. Riku only smirked, and the King pretended not to notice.

Riku tilted his head. "You wanna pick a way to go?"

"Depends," Kairi fully turned, crossing her own arms now. "Are you asking because that's what you actually want, or because you want to get the opportunity to tick me off again?"

Defensively, he raised his arms a little. "Woah, slow down! I didn't realize you were so upset."

"Well, you've been babying me this whole time," Kairi snapped, "So surely you were doing something on purpose." She stared down the two paths once more. "When I said I felt something familiar about this place, I wasn't joking. I definitely know this place from somewhere." She placed a hand on her heart calmly.

Mickey nodded curiously. "Well, seeing as you are connected to Light, that's gotta mean something."

Just then, a violent mesh of blackness had formed in blotches around them. Mickey immediately drew his blade, the Kingdom Key D. "Kairi! Heartless!"

Back to back, Kairi and Riku drew their own weapons. From the shadows, the creatures began to form. "Finally!" Kairi shouted. Large Body and Soldier Heartless twitched about threateningly. Their eyes wrought heavy contrast to their infinitely dark bodies, formed by shadows. Kairi's grip tightened around her key, anxious to attack.

"Do you have a plan?" Riku looked over his shoulder.

Without facing him, she only replied, "Who needs plans?" And lunged at one of the Large Bodies.

She brought the Keyblade down upon the Heartless, but it fazed away just as she got close to it. "Huh?" She landed on her feet, turning to Mickey. "What happened?"

Before the King could answer, he was nearly knocked over by a mysterious blur that crashed into another Heartless, destroying it and disappearing. The blur continued to disarm the Heartless, extinguishing them one by one.

"Identify yourself!" Riku shouted, readying a defensive stance.

Mickey extended his arm in front of Riku cautiously. "Wait, Riku," Mickey said, "Whatever this thing is, it's fighting off the Heartless."

"But it's hogging all the action!" Kairi stamped her foot. "That's not fair."

The last of the Heartless had disappeared now, leaving nothing but small black flakes that dissolved into the ground. "Not fair?" A voice hailed from beyond the shadows. "That's the thanks I get for saving the lives of innocent citizens? Sheesh, you civilians are all the same."

The three Keyblade wielders looked to the elevated stone platforms. They saw no one. Kairi stared deeply at the shadows and crevices, but saw nobody. "Who's there?"

"Who am I?" The voice responded in a tone that seemed gravelly and forced. "I am the Terror that Flaps in The Night! The Winged Scourge that Pecks at your Nightmares!"

A shadowy descended from above, and in front of the three of them stood a purple-cloaked figure. Riku instinctively shifted into a Guard position, and Mickey pointed his Key forward. Kairi just stood erect and confused.

The figure turned slightly. Kairi narrowed her eyes further, analyzing the being in front of her. It wore a purple hat with a steady, long brim. A black ribbon covered the top half of its face, exposing its eyes in a shadowy contrast. "I... am Darkwing Duck!"

The bold proclamation echoed loudly, the voice bellowing against the shard-like walls and canyons of the Bastion. After a long, underwhelming pause, Kairi blinked. "Who?"

Another few seconds of silence were exchanged between the wielders and this duck-billed stranger, and then he turned around fully, hands clutching the corners of its cape in dismay. " **WHAT**?"

Kairi looked to Mickey, who had withdrawn his weapon. Wondering if she should do the same, she looked to Riku, who had not. As soon as he saw that the King had disarmed himself, he hesitantly withdrew his own Key. "Uh..." He started. "I- I don't think we've heard of you."

The duck slammed his palm against his face in defeat. "You... You've got to be kidding me! I'm a national treasure!"

"Um... Sorry." Kairi nervously motioned towards the King, not knowing what else to do. Mickey intervened: "Anyways, I'm Kairi. These are my friends, Mickey and Riku... You must be from another world, then. Right?"

The masked figure struck another heroic pose before the three of them. "Yes, indeed. Where I come from, crime runs amok, and so I bring it upon myself to humbly step forward and wipe out the disease of evil that plagues the city!"

Riku nodded. "Right, right. I suppose you've faced a few of these Heartless before, then?"

Darkwing slouched a bit. "Well, only recently... Until a few days ago, I'd never seen any of these shadowy creeps before. But I was able to handle 'em! They were no match for the sheer might of-"

"Hey, that's really great, but we're sort of in a hurry." Kairi interrupted. "You're welcome to help us out if you want."

Darkwing furrowed his brow sharply. "Ah, form an alliance, you mean?" With an over-dramatic turn of the shoulder, his cape flowed behind, creating an air of dramatic mystery, albeit slightly forced. "Interesting offer ... But I usually work alone."

"All right," Kairi huffed, getting a bit impatient. "We'll be going now." She trotted off, shards of light forming in her hand to summon the Embrace again. Mickey shrugged and began to follow the red-haired wielder. Riku shrugged and walked off as well.

For a moment, Darkwing didn't bother turning around. He was more concerned with keeping his image, obviously, but eventually came to terms with the crippling silence. He jutted around violently, surprised to see the three strangers walking off in the distance. Instinctively, he shouted out to the three of them: "H-HEY! Wait, citizens!"

Mickey grabbed Kairi's hand, halting. "Hold on a sec, Kairi," He turned to the caped crusader. "You wanted to tell us something?"

Kairi suppressed a groan.

Darkwing cleared his throat, attempting to re-create his growly voice. "Seeing as this place is crawling with these... ' _Heatless_ ,'-"

"Heartless," Kairi corrected.

"Right, _Heartless_ , I said that," Darkwing continued, "We should probably form an alliance ... For the sake of justice, that is." A hand retreated into his cloak, fetching something. "Here, girl, take this!" Something shiny was tossed in Kairi's direction.

"Oh!" Kairi lunged forward, catching the item despite the clumsy range of the toss. Examining it up close, she realized that she was in possession of what appeared to be some kind of charm with a shadowy insignia engraved into it. "Thank you," She said. "But... What, uh, is this?"

"Consider it a beacon," Darkwing bowed slightly, to convey mutuality. "I have my own things to do, my own means of justice. If you ever find yourself in need of help, use it to summon me to your aid."

"Thanks, Darkwing," The small King piped up. "And if you need help from us, you can ask anytime."

"Not likely," Darkwing claimed boldly. Then, seemingly, he softened. "But, I appreciate the offer, Mouse. Now, then, you must excuse me: There is crime to be fought and justice to be had!" And with a fast whirl of his cape, Darkwing Duck disappeared, leaving Kairi and her two friends in the dust of his disappearance.

"That was... Different." Riku murmured.

Mickey tilted his head a little, half-agreeing. "Well, at least that Darkwing fella's on our side."

"Plus," The master-in-training chimed into the conversation, "We made an ally. Which is better than making an enemy." She held the charm up awkwardly. She placed the item into her side-bag. "I'll put it to good use at some point. Now let's keep walking. Hopefully there are no more ... surprises."


End file.
